On this day, August 13, 2011, Sugarland made headlines they’d give anything to change.
The duo, Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles, was in the midst of a tour promoting its Incredible Machine album. Bush and Nettles were preparing to walk on stage at the Indiana State Fair when they were held back in the dressing rooms underneath the stage.
Moments later, a strong gust of wind toppled parts of the stage into the crowd—ultimately killing seven people, five of whom were fans in the area the band designated for its most staunch supporters.
Bush didn’t know what was happening. He was following directions to stay in place and not take the stage—then he thought a bomb had detonated.
Under the stage, he felt explosions. He watched as an enormous piece of concrete lifted into the air and swung into the door on the other side of the stage, destroying it and then blowing the debris down the hallway.
“It was like a movie moment,” he told The Tennessean in 2015, his eyes red and full of tears.
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Kristian Bush Thought a Bomb had Detonated
In the days and years following, the duo couldn’t talk about the tragedy because of pending lawsuits.
WRTV, an ABC affiliate in Indianapolis, reported in an updated story in 2021 that a $39 million settlement was reached with the families of victims of the 2011 Indiana State Fair stage collapse. In addition to the seven people killed, nearly 60 were injured.
Bush remembered being “so scared,” and explained he and Nettles didn’t really know what happened. Even though the stage had collapsed, he and Nettles weren’t immediately allowed to leave their dressing rooms under the stage.
Eventually, Nettles, Bush, and crew were evacuated to their buses, where he remembers there was “all sorts of silence.” Again, they weren’t allowed to leave. They watched footage of the stage collapse on CNN.
“I obviously saw the aftermath of it because we’re looking at it outside the bus window, but it was still unfathomable what happened,” he said.
“You have to understand, this was something that we all experienced together,” Nettles told ABC. “We had crew who were injured. The whole thing was quite traumatic, and even recently on this tour, we did an outside gig. And it was very rainy, and it was very, very windy. And I had basically a PTSD moment where I just like … I grabbed (Bush’s) hand and just drew him over to the side and said, ‘I am like, freaking out right now, so I have to get this together.’”
Jennifer Nettles Shares PTSD
Three months after the collapse, Bush’s divorce was final. Then Nettles got married and, soon after, told him she was pregnant and wanted to make a solo album. Speculation that the stage collapse triggered the demise of Sugarland was rampant – but untrue.
“It’s fascinating, people’s connection to drama and scandal, and wanting to say that it was a breakup. It was never that,” Nettles said in an interview for the ABC special, “Country Music’s Biggest Stars: In the Spotlight with Robin Roberts.” “We wanted to go fill our cups with new things, you know?”
Since Sugarland couldn’t talk about the tragedy, they poured themselves into writing their solo projects. Bush created a lighthearted solo debut Southern Gravity – even though the songs he was writing were the opposite of what he felt.
He wrote about where he wanted to be — happy. The songs were like Post-it Notes that he put on his mirror to tell himself to keep going. His friends kept asking him if he was OK. He lied and said he was – even though he wasn’t.
Nettles released solo albums and launched her acting career on stage and in films.
Credited with discovering, launching, and producing country phenom Megan Moroney, Bush is now one of the most successful and sought-after producers in country music. He produced Moroney’s first and second albums – including Am I Okay?, which is currently competing for a CMA nod.
Sugarland Reunited
In addition, Nettles and Bush recently reunited for a 2024 album and tour. And fans who were there when the stage fell were at the shows. The duo makes every effort to meet them at the gigs and make sure they’re taken care of.
Sugarland built its brand on being one of the most inclusive artists in country music – and their spirit shone through the tragedy.
Bryan Bradley, a spokesman for the Kenneth J. Allen Law Group, which represented many of the victims and families, called the lawsuit payout a “historic settlement.”
“We believe it is the first time a lesbian couple in a civil union has been treated like any other couple for the purposes of wrongful death recovery,” Bradley said. “We are proud to have overcome another hurdle in the struggle for equal treatment regardless of sexual preference.”
The duo told ABC that making music and performing has been healing for both them and their fans.
“It feels so good to hug them and for them to stand in front of us and go, ‘Look, we’re still here,’” Bush said.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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